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Cross Border Trucking with Mexico Heating Up

While much of the volume from opponents of the long-haul cross-border trucking program between the United States and Mexico has toned down in recent months, the program is still alive on both sides of the border -- but there are also developments outside of the program.

MexicoTrucker.com reports that Mexico recently published a notice about how it will address inspections of U.S. trucks that come into the country as part of the program.

Similar to a notice in the U.S. Federal Register, the Mexican Diaro Oficial de la Federacion notice, in which the public has 60 days to comment, outlines the inspection standards the country will use. The standards were developed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, of which it is a partner of, along with the U.S. and Canada.

Meantime, back on the U.S. side, legislation in Texas has passed the state House that would allow refrigerated Mexican carriers to operate heavier trucks inside the state. It and a companion measure in the state Senate awaiting consideration would increase the current weight limit if a permit is purchased.

As the New York Times notes, this could be a benefit to the Lone Star State and trucking. One, the money would go to pay for repairs to roadways damaged by the heavier trucks. Two, it would result in more trade with Mexico. And it would reduce the number trucks waiting to get into the U.S. and on Texas roadways, because now it’s not uncommon for them to have to split a single U.S. bound shipment into two rigs in order to enter Texas. Arizona, the article notes, already has a similar program.

Both of these development come against a backdrop in which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration seems to be making some progress with its long-haul cross-border trucking program with Mexico that was announced nearly two years ago.

There have been more than 2,300 movements of trucks south of the border coming into the U.S., with vehicle and driver out-of-service rates following inspections being as good, if not much better than, those of their U.S. counterparts.